Nobody's fooled

Readers of the Initial Advice Statement (Dec 08) in Ambre Energy's mining lease application for the so-called Felton "Clean Coal Demonstration Project" may be under the impression that Ambre plans to build a much smaller plant at Felton than the 12.8 million tonnes/year monster they originally proposed. Indeed, page 3 has the following statement -

"The mine will be developed in two stages; the initial stage will involve the extraction of 800,000 tpa with the second stage expanding to 3.8 Mtpa."

Read the whole thing here - http://www.ambreenergy.com/_uploads/22256IAS.pdf

It seems Ambre have one story for the EPA and Felton locals, and another for potential investors. Have a look at the program for a briefing given by Ambre Energy to the Mining & Energy Services Council of Australia in Brisbane last week -

BRISBANE BRIEFING
Thursday 14 May 2009
Ambre Energy - Felton Mine and Dimethyl Ether Pilot Plant Project
Speaker: Steve Messiter – Director Project Development, Ambre Energy
Ambre Energy Limited is proposing to build and operate a world-class clean coal gasification plant near Felton,
approximately 30km south west of Toowoomba and 10km south east of Pittsworth producing a hydrogen-rich
synthesis gas for the following purposes:
· Production of 2.8 million tonnes per year of dimethyl ether (DME);
· Generation of 650 MW of electricity using an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) system.
The initial phase of the project will be a Demonstration Stage (scheduled for commissioning in 2011) involving
an 800,000 tonnes per year coal mine and a coal gasifier capable of producing 1,980 tonnes per day of a
hydrogen-rich syngas.
At final stage the open cut coal mine will provide 12.8 million tonnes of coal per year to the gasification plant.
The Project will also capture CO2 (1,339 tonnes per day at demonstration stage) for potential enhanced oil
recovery and geosequestration, produce by-products such as nitrogen for fertilizer production, and provide the
essential inputs for potential downstream olefins/plastics manufacturing facilities.
MESCA is Your Mining & Energy Industry Network
Program
3:45pm Registration
4:10pm Welcoming Address
4:20pm Major Sponsor’s Presentation
4:30pm Steve Messiter
Director Project Development , Ambre Energy
5:15pm Networking and refreshments
Details
Date: Thursday 14 May 2009
Venue: Hillstone St Lucia (St Lucia Golf Course)
Carawa St, St Lucia
Parking: Free onsite
Cost: MESCA Members $44.00 (inc GST)
$88.00 (2-4 Members) (inc GST)
Non Members $176.00 per person

Unfortunately, Friends of Felton couldn't afford the entry fee, but our spy behind the bar tells us the grand plan is little changed from Ambre's Initial Advice Statement (July08), available here in 2 parts -

http://www.scribd.com/doc/10841606/Ambre-Energy-Initial-Advice-Statement-2872008-Part-1

http://www.scribd.com/doc/10841900/Ambre-Energy-Initial-Advice-Statement-2872008-Part-2

Readers might also be interested in this critique from Dr Philip Machanick, University of Qld -

http://www.scribd.com/doc/11685961/Ambre-Felton-2008-critique